SCHOOLS and colleges across West Suffolk are today packed with pupils celebrating the fruits of their hard work as they finally get their GCSE results.

SCHOOLS and colleges across west Suffolk are today packed with pupils celebrating the fruits of their hard work as they finally get their GCSE results.

- Haverhill's Castle Manor Business & Enterprise College saw the number of pupils achieving five or more A*-C pass rates soar to a new high of 85% - placing students among the best achievers in the country.

A delighted principal, Madeleine Vigar, said pupils had benefited from a broad curriculum described as outstanding by school inspectors.

She said: “These GCSE results are a tribute to the hard work of our students and their teachers - they indicate that these young people have made outstanding progress and have very bright futures.

“These excellent results come at a time when our local schools have won a bid to lead 14-19 education in the area which is an exciting opportunity for our town.”

- Culford School in Bury celebrated its best ever results with the highest GCSE pass rate for grades A*-C in the West Suffolk region.

John Guntrip, director of studies, said the 95% pass rate was exceptional.

“These are an excellent set of results; they are a real tribute to how much hard work pupils and teachers put into preparing for these examinations. One of the many highlights is that 95% of the pupils who took GCSE Maths a year early achieved A* or A grades”.

- Vicky Neale, headteacher at County Upper School in Bury, where 80% of students gained five A*-C passes, said she was especially delighted in the current economic climate.

She said: “I'm particularly pleased that every student in the year group has achieved five GCSEs including English, Mathematics and at least two sciences and that for 80% of them this includes at least five higher passes, slightly improving on last year's 79%.

“I thank the staff for all the hard work they put in and congratulate the students who have done so well.”

- At Great Cornard Upper School 58% of pupils scored at least five A*-C grades, compared to 50% last year, making it the best set of results in the school's history.

Mike Foley, headteacher at the school, said: “For us it is fantastic we are really, really delighted with them. For us to be on 58% with our intake is just tremendous and was easily a record for us.”

- Geoff Barton, headteacher at King Edward's Upper School in Bury, where 73% of pupils received five or more A*-C grades, said it was an astonishing result.

He said: “This is a fantastic year group who have achieved some superb results which they well deserve. We are especially delighted to see that more than a quarter of the grades they gained were A or A*.

“One of our aims this year was has been making sure that the most able students re stretched and challenged - they have scored some of our best grades ever.”

He wished all the students the best of luck in the next phase of their educational careers and thanked staff and parents for their hard work and support.

- Bob Cadwalladr, headteacher at Newmarket College said this year's results were another step in the right direction for the school.

He said: “50% of our pupils got an A*-C grade with 43% achieving that level with English and Maths. It's another improvement and there was a great deal of excitement here when the results were released with many pupils signing up for their sixth form studies and looking to the future.”

- At Rosemary Musker High School in Thetford 40% of students achieved five A*-C grades.

Headteacher Liz Redpath said: “We are delighted that so many students have reached or exceeded their target minimum grades. “There are some stunning individual results from students of all abilities; they should be very proud of their achievements as we are.”

- It was a record breaking year for pupils at St Benedict's Catholic School in Bury with 84% of the year group achieving five or more GCSE A*-C passes.

Hugh O'Neill, who became headteacher at the beginning of the academic year, said the results were a return to form after last year's slight dip in pass rates.

He said: “The results show that the hard work of students and staff has been justly rewarded. There are, as ever, truly exceptional results for some very able and dedicated young men and women.

“But throughout this group of students, we can see fine sets of results that reflect just as well on those who have achieved them. We are a school that values success for everyone.

“For some students, 5 grade C passes represents a huge achievement, and the passport to future success. I congratulate them all.”

- At Sudbury Upper School students were celebrating an unprecedented set of grades across the year group, with 46% of students gaining five A*-C grades. The pass rate was over 99%.

Headteacher, David Forrest said: “I am, yet again, both very proud and humbled by what our students achieve in their exams, in their extra-curricular activities and in working as a community supporting each other and those outside school.

“This is a great reward for all those in the school who work so hard for individual and collective success and it is a wonderful boost to our efforts in the new term to go on to beat yet more records.”

He added: “My thanks and congratulations to all who gained, or supported students who gained, these results. I am pleased to say that there will be a very large number of proud Sudbury Upper School students and families again today.”

- All of the students who sat exams at Thetford Grammar School scored at least five A*-C passes.

Headteacher Gareth Price said: “I'm very pleased indeed; the year group need congratulating. They've all shown a great deal of commitment and work in a supportive environment where we put a lot of emphasis on passing exams and the results reflect that.”

- West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds saw 83% of students get five A*-C grades.

“These are fantastic results and the college congratulates every one of the candidates on their achievements,” said Phil Thirkettle, vice principal (curriculum and quality).